Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued a declaration to designate today to honor a Virginia baseball legend.
A Certificate of Recognition released today by the office of the Governor declared April 30 to be Ryan Zimmerman Day, in honor of the Virginia native and former Washington Nationals first and third baseman.
Born in North Carolina in 1984, Zimmerman grew up in Virginia Beach and played on the same AAU team as fellow future major leaguers and Hampton Roads natives David Wright and B.J. Upton.
He went to Floyd E. Kellam High School and later played baseball at the University of Virginia. In college, Zimmerman made first and second team All-ACC, All-American and set the school record for hits in a season with 90.
In 2005, Zimmerman became the Washington Nationals first-ever draft pick when he was selected with the fourth overall pick. He made his major league debut on Sept. 1 and would go on to be the only member of the team that year to hit over .300 in at least 50 plate appearances.
in 2009, Zimmerman made the National League All-Star team, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. He would win another Silver Slugger in 2010 and was an All-Star again in 2017. In 2019, Zimmerman won a World Series with the Nationals and in 2021, he surpassed the record for most games played in team history.
Zimmerman made his last appearance with the Nationals on October 3, 2021 and retired as the Nationals’ all-time leader in hits, home runs, RBIs and games played. He became the first player to have his number retired by the team on March 21, 2022.
“The Commonwealth’s own Ryan Zimmerman is a baseball legend and trailblazer. I am thrilled to issue a proclamation designating Ryan Zimmerman Day in Virginia to commemorate his service to his community, UVA, Virginia and his skill and dedication to baseball. Congratulations Mr. National!”
